Striping attachment for knitting-machines.



R. W. SCOTT.

STRIPING ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28.1915.

1,286,770., Patented Aug. 14,1917.

2'SHEETSSHEET I.

\Ns VMX IT. W. SCOTT.

STRIPING ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, I915.

L28$577 Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES ROBERT w. soon, or BoSToi MASsAcHUSETTS, assrenon To scoTT INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS.

PATENT OFFICE.

& WILLIAMS,

STRIPIN G ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

' i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L'ROBERT W.Soo1'r, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Striping Attachments for- Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to'knitting'mach lnesi having devices for chang'ingthe kind of fabric automatically to produce a strlpe or stripes.

One object of my invention is to provide an attachment for existing machines capable of automatically operating the yarn carriers or guides of said machines and their auxiliary devices to produce by a succession of yarn-changes stripes .or groups of stripes placed in the product automatically at a predetermined part or parts of the fabric, the patternknit and the location of the pattern in the fabric being changeable at will. Another object is to provide independent pattern means readily attachable to a knitting 'machinehaving a primary pattern surface for control by Said primary surface, independently to efl'ect in 'the fabric changes of structure for ornament, in addition 'to the changes provided for by the machine devices proper. Y v

, In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a right side'elevation of aknit ting machine equipped with my new devices; Fig. 2' is a detail in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3 showing another position of theparts;

i Fig. 4 is a left side elevation showing a modified actuating device for the-attachable patternsurface'.

For purposes of explanation of one use only of my new devices, I have shown them.

as applied tola hosiery knitting niachine, of which only those parts necessary to .an understanding of. the new device arefshown, The. machine frame A hasa bearing at a for "a shaft (notshown) actuated to drive the movable .element of a knitting, head H a canr'or pattern shaft D carrying pattern indications, and intermittently rotated througha. Whole or less than a whole mounted on the frame, which also supports 4 c ain pawl-controller k is lifted by indications p, p carriedby a primary pattern surface such as chain .P, which is constantly ad- Speciflcation of Letters Patent. Patnted Aug, 14, 1917.5 Application filed July 28, 1915 SeriaINo. 42,400. r

vanced step by step by a ratchet r and pawl 1-, all as usual in the art, the pawls r and.

r being-confieniently pivoted o apart of means. I I

Shaft D drives in any Suitable manner, as by gearing g a main pattern surface, such as as a center for sector. S, which is oscillated to drive the primary pattern and main patas a yarn'severing and clamp C. In

the machine shown, the connections-for op,-

crating the devices C and]? are thrust-bars oscillating sector drivenfrom the driving rum D,wliich 'in the: usual constructiofi shown rotates upon a shaft D also serving,

T independently movable by .cams on drum- D to throw each yarn guide F to an "upper inoperative position and to actuate severing device C to sever and holdthe yarn removed from work, but the devices now to be described may be applied without substantial change to other forms offoperating connections for equivalent'yarn-guides.

screw '2 to the upper s'urfaceof frame A is provided with depending arms 3 and a transversemember 4 having a boss 5 bored to receive the lower end 10f the usual Supporting rod V of the overhead yarn-guiding devices. Arms 3 end in bosses 6 bored-for bearings for an auxiliary pattern shaft 8., which is thus attachably supported at the back of the machine near the drum D and parallel to its axis. with a boss 7 bored shaft Sal-hove shaft 8 rear sides ofbars T. Y i

Shaft8 has rigidly atta'ched to it a ratchet wheel 10, andlariauxiliary' pattern surface and extending past the wheel four,

15 having lugs 16 forming together elevated surfaces 'Whiehmay be of any desire'd changeable lengths with respect to the Member 4 is provided to hold rigidlya stud.

' preferably made u'p. as shown of sprocket '10, ,of any desired number, shownas each carrylng a mutable-link; pattern: p

. whole lengthof the chain, which in turn may as A bracket" 1 for attachment by a single be varied in length, dependent upon the desired length of the series of changes making up one unit or repeat of the patternin the fabric.

Shaft 9 carries a series of indicator levers 1 18, one for each chain'l5, each having at its lower end a transverse channel for a chainreading nose 2O adjustable by a screw 22 and fixed bya set screw 21; and each having a transverse channel for an arm 19 held for adjustment by screw 23. I

Arms 19 are suitably benteach to extend- I 4 into an'otch 25 formed in the rear face of the thrust-bar leading to the yarn-guide or other nistrument to be controlled As shown, three arms 19 control three yarn-1 guides F,, and one arm 19 controls severing inoperative by lifting their bars, while the severing device 0 opens to receive the yarn on lifting, and cuts and clamps on dropping its bar. Lowering movements of the bars being by gravity .or springs, cams on the surface D and cams on the auxiliary sur- A face 15 may actuate the devices F and C independently. or together, the presence of a cam on either surface preventing the return of thebar moved by it, whatever the indication of the other surface may-be.

One important use of the auxiliary surface 15 is to. enable a relatively large num-- ber of or rapid movements of connections such as thebars Twithout requiring move;

ment of the'main pattern, such as drum D, the necessary shifts and changes of parts for some classes of product taking up such an extent of motion of the main pattern as -to leave no large part of it free to be devoted to movements fora number gf inciden tal rapid changes or shifts of theparts opence of one or more lugs 41 at follower 38 erated by it, such as are necessary for an ornamental pattern. -By my new construc-.

tion, each group of special-or incidental ac- -tuations' of such mechanisms as the devices Ff and C can be carried outeither during passage bythe connections of, or

stoppage of the main pattern at a place having. no actuating cams for those connections'to be specially moved at that-time by the auxiliary pattern.

My device provides for actuation of the" auxiliary pattern at predetermined times independently of motions of the main pattern surface, thereby avoiding moving the .main'pattern system for the purpose of stop 'ping and starting the'auxiliary pattern and leaving the main pattern free to' be operated for any desired changes in the knitting during independent functioning of the auxiliary pattern devices. It may, for instance, be desired to move the main pattern to op-. erate some one of the connections T to cause the special actuation of one of the yarn guides F for splicing, during the uninterrupted movement of other connections T for striping; or during rapid shifting of some or all of the connections T it may be de-' sired to move the main pattern repeatedly to other shifts, of the mechanisms. For the above and other purposes, I have provided for the control of actuation of the auxiliary pattern from'the primary pattern surface.

The ratchet 10 is driven by a pawl 30, which may be a-hooked-pawl, as shown,

' pivoted to the sector S on the same stud r change the length of stitch, or to make and normallyin the position shown in said figures. The other arm of lever 32 is bored for atension rod 33 having an adjustment A bracket 36 at the front of the machine has pivoted to it at 35 a follower lever 37 having a follower lug 38 taking over one side of the-chain P, and a lug 39 carrying a limit screw 40taking against frame A. Tension rod v33 passes through the machine frame and is hooked into a hole 12 in follower lever '37, gravity of pawl 30 maintaining lever 37 in the adjusted position set by screwv 10, the stroke of the pawl being on a line too low'to engage artooth of =wheel10. Changeable links of chain P are provided at the desired points representing times in the operation and places in the .product, with lugs 41 adapted to be bridged from link to link by follower lug 38. Presrocks lever 32 and lifts pawl 30 into engagement with the ratchet at the extreme of'its Anyusual formof other product knit,,the respective chains 15 will usually be made up to' present lugs 16' to swing all except one of the indicator levers 18 for the yarn guide connections, to

leave one yarn guide in operation. When the pattern is to determine a yarn change, the chain 15 controllingthe guide to be inserted presents no lug,- andtlie chain for the guide to be removed at thenext following tooth of its'sprocket 12 has a lug 16. A sufficient interval of. time during the advance of shaft 8 between dropping one indicator 18 and bar T and lifting the other indicator and its bar is thus secured to interknit both yarns on thesame needles for a shortdistance. Motions of pawl'30 and sectors are so related to the rotation of the rotary element of knitting head H ,as to localize these points 'ofchange at one part of the knit tube, usually the-back of the leg if the product is a stocking. r

Whenever the yarn is changed for a stripe, it is desirable to operate the cutter and clamp device C, and for this purposethat chain 15 selected to control the device C may be provided with a-lug 16 relatively at the same position as a lug for entering the new yarn on another chain 15. It will be understood without /further de-' scriptionthat the shaft Sana/y be turned step by step to-move the bars T by'the passage of the wholeor any part of the pattern set on the chains 15,- the time and duration of the movement of the bars -T depending upon the placing and number of the links 4Lon the primary surface P. Presence of a cam on the main pattern D under one or more of the connections Tat the time ofactuation of the auxiliary pattern may be employed if desired to prevent the operation of that bar, but the pattern D is usually arranged to free all ofthe con- I tern for this purpose may bethat utilized to 1 nections intended to be worked by the. auxiliary pattern when or after the shaft 8 has begun, to move. Movement of'the main patwork some other connection than. those intended to be controlled by the auxiliary pat tern. i

- When the machine is employed "for knit ting articles in succession, I may use the "aui riliary pattern to select .that yarn guide to be employed at the beginning of each article, byv racking the shaft 8 to the desired positionof the auxiliary pattern during the idle running of the machine between successive seasons ofxknitting orduringlmitting of wastefabric between two articles, automatic means for this purpose'comprising aseries of links 41 on chain P placed to move shaft 8 at this time. By this means the end of the pattern may leave in use a yarn of a difi'erentcolor or kind from that knit prior to the pattern. 7 For a pattern of stripes at themiddle of the legof; a womans stocking, f0r instance,

one of the indicator levers 18 may be left in place to cause a guide F to; feed a black cotton yarn for the top of the leg; shaft- 8 may then be turned to produce a succession" of stripes of yarns of other colors or kindsi recurring'if 'desired'to-the black'yarnas a ground color, -,and the last movement of the shaft 8 may leave in use for the'reniainde'r of the leg a silk. yarn, which may or may not have been fed for one of the stripes. .A single step of shaft 8 may be employed. at any part of the cycle of knitting operations to changeanyof the yarns controlled by the auxiliary pattern, if desired, and any part of the auxiliary pattern for such occasional use may be moved past the -indicators 18 duringpresence of cams on the main pattern holding all of the yarn-guides under the influence of the auxiliary pattern out of action, thereby enabling any part of the pattern on the ,chains 15 to be stopped out,

auxiliary pattern at shorter intervals, 'one' construction for this. purpose being that shown in Fig. 4. The bracket 1 and the pattern surface 15 may be the, same as above described, but shaft 8 is extended toward the left side of the machine to receive a ratchet 45 in the plane of existing gearing of the -machine, such as the gear. h driven from a pinion onmain driveshaft BL lhe gear h may be a part of the speed-changing or the rotary-reciprocatory.devices, as shown being that employed to drive the sector S through a crank and pitman, and making one revolu-- tionflto four of the shaft B and the'knitting head H. On any convenient stud such as one end of shaft-D a pawl arm '47 having a follower lug 48 is held ;by a spring 49 against a series of like cams removably attached to the face of gear k.'- There may be any convenient numberof cams 46, depending on the number of revolutions of the knitting head desired to occur during the narroweststripe. Arm 47 passage of each cam. 1

A driving pawl 50 pivoted to arm 47 normally is restrained from contact with ratchet 45 by a controller arm 5.1 rigid with bell-crank.:32 on shaft 8, held by spring. 52

extending between an. ant 53 fast in bracket 1 and an arm of said bell-crank. Whenever "a lug 41 on surface P pulls-rod 33, arm 51 permits pawl 50 to advance the ratchet 45.

In order tocause the passage of the end is oscillated at the of a series of lugs 16 to place a yarn-guide F in operationandthebeginning of another' series of lugs 16 to remove the yam-guide F go ng out of .work to be separated by suiiicienttime to overlap the outgoing and incoming yarns on. several needles,- earns 46 may have ends of-a gradual slope as shown, or of two stages of ascent separated by a dwell. Any suitable form of brake may be applied to any part of the system order by both the main pattern surface and the auxiliary surface,v and means controlled by said primary pattern surface for operating said main and auxiliary surfaces at independent predetermined times.

from said main surface, an auxiliary pattern surface and means whereby said auxiliary surface may operate said connections when active, in'combination with means cov acting with said primary surface for rendering said auxiliary surface active and inactive -,'at predetermined times.

"3; In an automatic knitting machine, yarn feeding means pattern-controlled by devices moving at times during the production of an 39 article to determine the yarn fed for an extensive part of each article, in combination with auxiliary pattern means also controlling' said yarn feeding means for a series -of rapid changes adapted for operation independently of said pattern-controlled devices, primary pattern means and independent connections therefrom to said devices and said auxiliary pattern means.

--1-.- Almitting machine having a plurality of movable yarn carriers, auxiliary pattern means for controlling the active and inactive positions of said carriers to produce a pattern in the fabric, said auxiliary pattern means being adapted to select and actively position any one of said carriers during the production ,of extended areas of fabric, in combination with means independent of said auxiliary pattern -means for, maintaining tive position. a a 5. A knitting machine having a series of independent connections movable positively in one direction and knitting devices adjustable by, said movement, a main pattern surface for severally movingsaid connections, and an auxiliary'pattern mechanism havirig a pattern surface adaptedto be'intermittently advanced and elements contacting with said connections positively when moved in said direction, said elements being free 2. In a knitting machine having afmain' one of said carriers in active or inac'-.

of yarncarriers and a yarn severing-mocha nism, in combination with main and auxiliary pattern means for-severally and independently operating both said-carriers and said mechanisms.

7. A knitting machine having knitting means, yarn feeding devices,a prlmary pattern surface, and main patternmechanism for controlling said means and devices, in

combination with an auxiliary pattern mechanism adapted to be attached to the control by said primary pattern surface, and comprising means for operating said 'machine for intermittent. movement under" yarn feeding devices additionally and inde-' pendentlv of said main desired tin'1es. 1 v

8. 111 combination in a knittlng machlne,

pattern devices at a series of yarn carriers, a series' of thrustbars, a'pattern surface, .and means on said surface operating directly on said thrustbars to move said yarn-carriers; an auxiliary pattern surface, means to advance said surface step, by step, and a. series of indicator members each-adapted when moved by said auxiliary surface, to move a thrust-bar to I operate one of said yarn-carriers.

9. An automatic knitting machine having means comprising yarn feeding devices and main pattern devices forknitting a succes S1011 of articles or fabrics, n combination with an auxiliary pattern mechanism adapted to control said yarn feeding devices to feed a succession of different yarns during knitting of each article or fabric, and means for changing the position of said auxiliary pattern mechanism between successive artie cles; whereby the pattern in the fabric may 'be preceded and followed by fabric knit from different yarns. 3

10. An auxiliary pattern device for attachment to knitting machines adapted to be controlled by a primary or master pattern of said machine comprising an auxiliary pat- 1 Ytern surface, a ratchet mechanism for advancingsaid surface, controlling means for said mechan sm'for connectlon to said ma chine, and a series of indicator levers each adapted to engage said auxiliary pattern.

' device and to engage positively in one direction' one of a plurality ofconnections between the knitting devices and .the pattern 'devices of said machine. x 'Signed' by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this'yfvienty-seventh dayof July, 1915.

v 'RoB'ERT-w. spOT -i 

